Do You Have Anemia?

Anemia- What is it?

Anemia is a condition that happens when your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin. Vitamin B12 is necessary for producing plenty of normal-sized red blood cells, so when vitamin B12 levels dip low, you experience symptoms of pernicious anemia, which is a type of megaloblastic anemia.

Early signs of pernicious anemia such as dizziness, tiredness, and difficulty remembering things occur because your brain is not getting enough oxygen, due to fewer red blood cells.

Symptoms of pernicious anemia include:

Extreme fatigue

Memory loss

Disorientation

Anxiety

Weight gain

Brain fog

Painful numbness and tingling sensations

Muscle spasms

Heart palpitations

Shallow breathing

B12- why you’re not getting it

Most people do eat enough foods containing vitamin B12. Unless you follow a vegan diet, then you probably ingest enough vitamin B12 from beef, chicken, and seafood to last a lifetime.

The problem lies with vitamin B12 malabsorption there are so many risk factors that interfere with your ability to digest vitamin B12 from the foods you eat.

Vitamin B12 Digestion Problems

Vitamin B12 cannot be digested by itself- it requires a co-factor, a “partner” in digestion. To absorb vitamin B12, you need specific digestive enzymes which are manufactured in your gut, or stomach acids that help to break down vitamin B12 molecules.

You risks for developing vitamin B12 deficiency- pernicious anemia are high if:

You don’t have intrinsic factor in your gut

Your autoimmune system destroys the intrinsic factor you make

You are a senior citizen who doesn’t produce enough stomach acids to digest vitamin B12

You have had gastrointestinal surgery, such as bariatric surgery

If you fall into any of those categories, then it’s essential to get your vitamin B12 from supplementation, preferably in a non-dietary form, so that you may bypass the need for digestion in the stomach.